In networks, such as Local Area Networks (LANs), it can be necessary to determine the topology of the network. The topology of the network is the devices attached to the network and the interconnectivity of the devices. Devices on the network include switches, routers, servers, and any other network capable device.
There are numerous products for determining network topology. One of these products is HP Openview NNM-ET. This product operates by discovering device existence, the devices' configurations, IP connectivity, Layer 2 (L2) connectivity, VLAN configurations, and other protocol configurations (such as OSPF, HSRP). This discovery process is carried out using various software modules focussed on each of the above aspects.